1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print sheet creating apparatus and a print sheet creating method.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a print sheet having an image formed by transferring toners such as yellow and magenta onto a base sheet. In addition, similarly, there are also known a print sheet creating apparatus and a print sheet creating method which creates the print sheet.
Such a print sheet creating apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units. These image forming units each form images having different colors from each other and stake these images, so that a desired image can be formed.
In Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2013-068862, besides the print sheet creating apparatus and the print sheet creating method, a print sheet creating apparatus and a print sheet creating method which creates the print sheet formed with a thermal transfer label are also disclosed.
The print sheet having the thermal transfer label is formed by forming a desired image on the base sheet which has separated surfaces, and transferring a thermoplastic resin on the image.
In the thermal transfer print sheet, the surface opposite to the thermal transfer label of the base sheet is thermally pressed in a state where the surface formed with the thermal transfer label abuts on clothes. Therefore, the thermoplastic resin is melt and fused into the fibers of the clothes. Thereafter, the base sheet is removed from the clothes in a state where the thermoplastic resin is cooled and fixed to the clothes, and thus the thermal transfer label is transferred onto the clothes.
In the print sheet creating apparatus and the print sheet creating method described above, the following problems are found out. In other words, the print sheet creating apparatus includes a plurality of unit arranging portions which are capable of disposing the image forming units. An instruction of forming an image to the image forming unit is sent through the unit arranging portion to the image forming unit. In other words, for example, an instruction of forming a yellow image is sent to the unit arranging portion which is disposed in the yellow image forming unit.
In a case where the print sheet creating apparatus is used in a normal printing mode for forming a normal image on the base sheet, and in a case where the thermal transfer label is formed, the image forming units are differently disposed. Therefore, in a case where the apparatus for the normal printing mode is converted for forming the thermal transfer label, for example, the magenta image forming unit for forming the thermal transfer label is disposed in the unit arranging portion in which the yellow image forming unit is disposed for the normal printing mode. In this case, the instruction of forming the yellow image is sent to the magenta image forming unit, and a desired image is not formed. Therefore, the print sheet creating apparatus for forming an image is not possible to form the thermal transfer label. Similarly, the print sheet creating apparatus for forming the thermal transfer label is not possible to form the normal image.
On the other hand, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-077932 discloses an image forming apparatus which includes a first developing unit to form an image using one or more types of first developers and an attachable second developing unit to form an image using one or more types of second developers different from the first developer. In the disclosed image forming apparatus, there are provided a developing-unit determining unit which determines the type of the developing unit provided in the image forming apparatus and an informing unit which informs a user of an error indicating the reason why an image forming command is not accepted in a case where the user inputs the image forming command to form an image containing the second developer when the second developing unit is not mounted. However, the image forming apparatus is an apparatus which forms an image in an image bearing member and thus the creating of the thermal transfer label is not possible, and the creating of the thermal transfer label is neither described nor suggested.
Furthermore, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-155824 discloses a tandem type of an image forming apparatus which includes a plurality of image forming units, and forms a color image by transferring toner images of colors created by the respective image forming units on a transfer body in a multiplex manner. The image forming apparatus includes four or more storage portions for storing the image forming units, and execute an image forming mode of forming the color image by using only the first to the third image forming units as the plurality of image forming units in a case where a first image forming unit for magenta is stored in a first storage portion, a second image forming unit for cyan is stored in a second storage portion, and a third image forming unit for black is stored in a third storage portion. However, the image forming apparatus is an apparatus which forms an image in an image bearing member and thus the creating of the thermal transfer label is not possible, and the creating of the thermal transfer label is neither described nor suggested.
Furthermore, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 02-146567 discloses an image forming apparatus which is mounted with any of a plurality of cartridges having a single developer or a plurality of developer groups and forms a recording image according to an input image data. The image forming apparatus includes an identification unit which identifies the type of the mounted cartridge, a display unit which displays an operating mode according to the identified result, a mode setting unit which sets a mode to operate the apparatus, and a control unit which operates the apparatus in a mode set by the mode setting unit. However, the image forming apparatus is an apparatus which forms an image in an image bearing member and thus the creating of the thermal transfer label is not possible, and the creating of the thermal transfer label is neither described nor suggested.
The invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a print sheet creating apparatus and a print sheet creating method which is capable of performing both the thermal transfer label forming and the normal printing.